Controversial Birmingham board reconvenes to approve restaurant

New members were appointed on Tuesday to a controversial city of Birmingham board, which oversaw the development of Regions Field and the Negro Southern League Museum.

The Public Athletic, Cultural and Entertainment (PACE) Facilities Board., which went defunct last year, is being reformed for one purpose - to approve a contract that will allow Michael's Steak and Seafood to locate in the museum and begin buildout.

After much debate, the Birmingham City Council voted 5-2-1 to approve the council's and mayor's nominations to the five-member board. Councilors Steven Hoyt and Sheila Tyson voted against the appointments and Councilor Lashunda Scales abstained.

Three members of the board were recommended by the mayor, and two were appointed by the city council.

Councilor Steven Hoyt asked for the vote to be postponed for two weeks so all councilors could meet with the prospective appointees. He was also concerned with the amount of power the board will have.

"I think there are more questions than we have answers, frankly," he said.

Hoyt said the board has "too much power when making decisions for this city."

He said the parameters for the board need to be revisited before the council votes on the appointees.

The last board, he said, didn't communicate with the council and didn't post their meeting dates. Hoyt also claimed the board was responsible for $8 million in cost overruns in the building of Regions Field.

Councilor Darrell O'Quinn said the restaurant owner Bernadine Birdsong has been waiting on the city for months. He said she had intended to have the restaurant open by April.

Councilor Hunter Williams said the city shouldn't have to appoint a board just to approve a restaurant in a city-owned property.

Mayor Randall Woodfin agreed that he wished the restaurant contract could be approved without the PACE Board but said that is what's required under the law.

The mayor said he will instruct his staff to answer councilors' questions about the powers of the board, and if its power could be restricted, if needed, by the end of the week.

Council President Valerie Abbott said she would like to see background checks performed on prospective members of any city board.

"We have enough issues without appointing people who have background problems," she said. "I don't want to appoint people we are embarrassed by."

Woodfin's appointees are:

Cora Coley, a former employee of the Birmingham Board of Education, who mostly recently served as an eligibility program specialist for the athletic department.

Ronnie Rice, firm administrator at Alex Shunnarah, P.C. In this role, Rice serves as a liaison to the legal team and oversees corporate social responsibility.

James Sullivan, a certified financial education instructor, who currently serves as the president of the Central City Neighborhood Association and president of the Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees.

"I'm excited about the mix of experience and expertise these nominees bring," Woodfin said in a statement. "This is precisely the quality of candidates I promised during my campaign."

He said Corley has decades of athletic administration experience in the city. Rice is a leader at one of the state's most prominent law firms, Woodfin said.

Sullivan is a rising professional in one of our region's largest corporations, he said.

"Each of them has a long, proud and personal history of community service," Woodfin said.

The council's appointees are:

Samuel Rumore Jr., an attorney, who previously served a several boards including the Birmingham Public Park and Recreation Board and Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees.

Jestina Howard, special events manager at Birmingham Museum of Art, who serves as a junior board member of Hands On Birmingham.

It's unclear if the PACE Board will have any other duties besides approving one restaurant contract. The board members will serve until, at least, 2023.

Woodfin said he has instructed his staff to create a process to improve the quality of candidates on various boards. The plan would include required training for current board members and those seeking to serve. The training would cover governance, ethics and Robert's Rules of Order as a way to improve the service these individuals provide to residents.